Can medicines lower my risk of health problems from vascular disease?
Lowering your LDL cholesterol level can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. If you need to improve your cholesterol levels, eating a healthy diet, exercising and stopping smoking can be very helpful. However, if these lifestyle changes don’t help after about 6 months to 1 year, your doctor may suggest that you take medicine to lower your LDL cholesterol level. Treating high blood pressure can also lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Your doctor may prescribe medicine to lower your blood pressure. Be sure to take it just as your doctor tells you to. Talk to your doctor about whether taking aspirin in low doses would help reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack. Aspirin can help prevent your blood from forming clots that can eventually block the arteries. If you have high blood pressure, it should be under control before you start taking aspirin. Remember that even if your doctor prescribes medicines to reduce your risk of health problems, it’s still very impo
